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The Conversation
The Conversation
Justine Bell-James, Professor, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland

Australia’s old environment laws were a box-ticking exercise. Sadly, the new ones could be too

Environment Graeme Samuel Australia Murray Watt Labor
TonyFeder/Getty

For a quarter century, Australia’s environment laws were widely regarded as not fit for purpose. In 2020, a scathing review by Professor Graeme Samuel found the Environment Protection and Biodiversity (EPBC) Act was ineffective and unfit for future environmental challenges.

On the last Parliamentary sitting day of 2025, Labor passed its long-awaited reforms to Australia’s nature laws following a deal with the Greens. According to Environment Minister Murray Watt, these reforms would deliver tangible benefits for the environment and “protect what is precious”.

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